6/26/2014 Julia Cation
Written by Julia Cation
MechSE professor Ning Wang has been named the Leonard C. and Mary Lou Hoeft Endowed Chair in Engineering, an honor presented by the College of Engineering.
The appointment recognizes Wang’s success in the classroom and with his research. He developed and has taught a popular mechanobiology course (ME 483) since 2006, and has been published in numerous high-profile journals for his original discoveries in mechanobiology, stem cell biology, and cancer biology. He remains a prominent leader in the field of mechanobiology in the U.S., and his lab is at the forefront of development of novel technologies in these fields.
Wang’s research spans the fields of engineering, mechanics, and biology, proving that research and education are becoming more interdisciplinary. He will have a direct connection with the Hoeft Technology and Management Program – also named for Leonard and Mary Lou Hoeft – which offers a unique curriculum as a cross-disciplinary minor to a select group of highly qualified undergraduates from the Colleges of Engineering and Business.
“With this new appointment, I will have more chances to interact with students in the Hoeft Technology and Management Program and across the campus. In order to solve complex problems facing the nation and beyond, we must train and educate students with knowledge from various disciplines so that students can develop novel technologies to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. I can use my interdisciplinary experiences to guide students to make significant positive impacts in science, technology, and society,” said Wang.
Wang uses advanced research techniques to gain a fundamental understanding of cell mechanics, including cytoskeletal biomechanics and control of cell form and function; bio-imaging of cytoskeletal structures and stress distribution in living cells; mechanotransduction, nuclear deformation and gene expression; and mechanical biotechnologies and their applications to cells, tissues, and organisms.
His research group currently has active collaborations with five different laboratories on campus, including the Bioengineering Department, the Beckman Institute, the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Leonard C. and Mary Lou Hoeft Endowed Chair in Engineering was established in 1997 through the generosity of Leonard C. Hoeft (BS management 1947) and his wife, Mary Lou. The couple has also made generous gifts to establish and endow a Chair in the College of Business as well as the Hoeft Technology and Management Program.